O.P.P. costing process on hold, possibly scrapped

BROCKVILLE – A whole exercise to vet an O.P.P. costing proposal for Brockville could be killed in less than three weeks.

This, after council learned Wednesday night the cost to have the provincial police service in Brockville would be about $7.3 million a year – more than what it’s paying now for the municipal force.

The Brockville Municipal Center was packed for the unveiling of the O.P.P. proposal, which has been in the works, in some form or another, since 2013.

That prompted Coun. Jane Fullerton to introduce a notice of motion to reject the proposal entirely at a council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017.

That would effectively kill the entire process of public meetings, council and staff vetting in March and April.

The proposal shows the transitional contract for three years with the O.P.P. would leave the city with a $7.2 million bill each year ($8.3 million in the first year for added one-time costs).

For comparison, the Brockville Police Service will cost the city approximately $7.1 million this year.

As well, the O.P.P. proposal doesn’t include a number of other financial considerations including a presumably costly new police station because the existing facility on Parkedale Avenue doesn’t meet provincial standards.

Nothing will happen to the costing proposal until Fullarton’s motion is debated next month.